


Candy Shop

by boriskarloff



Category: EXO (Band)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boriskarloff/pseuds/boriskarloff
Summary: just a little story based on Baekhyun's newest solo, Candy + Delight!!
Kudos: 1





	Candy Shop

He had an addiction, he could admit that. No, it was an appetite. Voracious and not easily satisfied. Sometimes it was like a howling void within him, demanding to be filled. He was so hungry most days. 

Starved for love, he had once carved in the wall space behind his bed. Those words shone against the wall when the sun spilled through his window; a deep gold. The color of his impatient heart and the wrappers of the caramel filled chocolate he was so partial to. 

His friends would have scoffed at the writing on the wall. “Starved for love, he says. You're a vessel for it. You're more of a glutton.” And they would be right. He was, quite simply, lovable. People were drawn to him like planets around the sun. But that wasn't the kind of love he was craving. He wanted romance: the heady, deep red passion that threatened to overwhelm the senses. Yes, he wanted to be smothered in its sweet fragrance; to bite into it like one of his beloved chocolates, coating his tongue and dribbling down his chin. 

The women who came into the shop were always patting his cheeks and ruffling his hair. He charmed them without even trying. They all wanted to set him up with their nieces and granddaughters. “She’s a very nice girl,” they insisted. He would smile politely but make no further inquiries. What did he want with nice girls? Why devour a meal without savoring the taste? The women convinced themselves that he was nursing a broken heart. They plied him with food, hoping to ease his loneliness. He tried to refuse but they wouldn’t hear of it. “A boy as handsome as you shouldn’t be so skinny.” He would incline his head and they would start fussing again over what a nice boy he was. “You eat too much candy,” they observed. “I’m surrounded by temptation,” he would say brightly, motioning to the shelves lined with sweets.

His family owned the candy shop. His grandfather founded it many years ago. It was called Delight, on Kyoong Ave. Its bricks were butter yellow, meaning that it stood out in the crowded street. The two windows on each side of the storefront housed displays: a chocolate fountain on one side and an elaborate silver cupcake stand on the other. The shop played tricks on people’s eyes; from the outside it looked small, but the inside was vast. Everyone, no matter their age, would stare with wide eyed wonder at those candy wrappers that gleamed like jewels; the colorful lollipops arranged like bouquets with ribbons tied around them; the yards of laffy taffy; the fruit shaped candy in glass jars; and the stacks of chocolate bars. They even sold novelty trinkets, like the little music boxes filled with Hershey’s kisses and the heart shaped books of short stories that contained hollows for the candy. 

They did great business and so did the dentists. 

Baekhyun’s shift at Delight started at 7 am every day. He would stroll through the neighborhood, his jacket tossed over one shoulder, whistling as he did so. He greeted the people he passed with his signature smile, and would drop candy into their outstretched palms. During the school year, the young children would jostle each other, clamoring for the sweets and his sweet voice. “Hi Baekhyun!” they all chorused in unison. They said he was a candy fairy. During the summer it was quieter. 

There was a girl standing outside of Delight one pale, frosty morning. She was motionless. Baekhyun gave her a quizzical look. Her eyes were almost out of focus. He waved his hands in front of her face. She shook her head, blushing slightly.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes, I am. I was just...distracted.” She gestured to Delight.

“It has that effect on people,” Baekhyun beamed. “But wait until you see the inside.”

“Wait, it’s real? Is it enchanted?”

“Possibly,” Baekhyun winked. He pulled the shop key from his pocket with a flourish.

“Don’t tell me you work here,” the girl said.

“I won’t, but my family does own it.”

“Wow,” the girl breathed. 

He watched with pride as the girl’s mouth dropped open when she was inside Delight. She seemed to be in a trance as she walked forward to look at all the displays.

“If I worked here,” she said at last, “my teeth would be rotten with cavities.” She glanced at his mouth.

“I have a secret,” he said. “Wait here.” He went to the back of the store and retrieved his bag of strawberries from the fridge.

“I eat these on the job,” he told the girl. “My favorite.”

She smiled fondly at the fruit.

“My mother ate strawberries and all sorts of sweet things when she was pregnant with me,” he continued. 

“So that you would be lovely?” the girl asked, her eyes gleaming.

“Did it work?” 

She considered for a moment. “Yes, I think so. Your family must make a fortune off this place,” she added.

“We get by. We keep the dentists in business anyway.”

She laughed. “You must have been the envy of all the other kids when you were small.”

“Well, yes. But I was only allowed candy if my grades were good. It’s how my mother took care of my teeth. Naturally I was always at the top of my class.”

She laughed again. The sound was like water gently lapping over rocks. He realized that he liked it, and that he could make her laugh. He wanted to do it again.

“Oh dear, is that the time?” she asked, pointing to the large golden clock, its hands on 7:05.

“Yes, never a minute too soon.”

“Oh, I have to go. I’m going to be late.”

“I will see you again?”

“Ha, you just try keeping me from this treasure trove. It was nice meeting you…?”

“Baekhyun. Here, before you go.” He plucked one of the candy bags off the shelf and handed it to her. “Free of charge.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” she protested.

“You will,” he insisted. “I can be very persuasive.”

“I bet.” Her hand closed around the bag and she sprinted back to the door. “It was nice meeting you, Baekhyun,” she called over her shoulder. Thank you!” 

“Wait, I didn’t get your name.”

She turned to face him, the sunlight crowning her in the open doorway. “It’s Candy.”

🍬

All day long when the bell above the shop door rang, Baekhyun’s eyes would light up. But when Candy didn’t appear, his face dimmed in disappointment. The usual suspects crowded into Delight around lunch time. These were the girls who hovered in the makeup section. (Tubes of chocolate lipstick and compact mirrors with trays of sour rock candy). When Baekhyun smiled or spoke to them, they would dissolve into giggles. They refused to speak, instead preferring to whisper behind their hands and stare at him while he pretended not to notice. He was patient every other day, but today he found them barely tolerable.

“Were you planning on buying anything today?” he asked them, not even bothering to keep his voice even.

One of the girls yelped and bumped into her friend, who hit a table. A few pieces of caramel bites scattered to the floor. Baekhyun’s lips became a thin line as the girls gasped and hissed at one another.

“We’re sorry,” one of them squeaked.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun said, forcing a cheerful note into his voice. 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” another girl blurted out.

There was a moment of shocked silence that was punctuated by more giggles. Baekhyun didn't answer. He turned around so they wouldn't see his eye roll. 

“Way to go, Gabby!” 

“He hates us,” someone else moaned.

“No I don't,” Baekhyun said. “I don't hate you. I've just been having a long day.” 

There were murmurs of sympathy. Baekhyun rang up their purchases and then they left. 

He closed up shop at 3 pm. The sun cast a hazy glow on the wrapped candies, making them shimmer. A sigh escaped him. He’d been looking forward to seeing Candy again that day. He wanted to invite her for a sweet meal indoors. Sounds of the outside world seeped into Delight. He saw a tired woman being pulled down the street by an impatient toddler.

“No sweets for today,” the woman said wearily.

“Candy, candy!” the boy chanted.

Baekhyun smiled, in spite of himself. Maybe if he chanted her name, she would appear. 

And then there she was, tapping at the window. “Closed?” she mouthed through the glass, her mouth drawn into a pout. Baekhyun wore a broad grin as he opened the door.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.”

“I like to surprise people.”

“Is your real name Candy?” Baekhyun asked.

“Doesn't it sound like a real name?” she asked in mock indignation. Then she giggled. “It's the only name I've got. My mom's name is Sugar.”

“Her nickname.”

“Nuh uh,” she sang, jabbing a finger softly into his chest. “Sugar Maralee Cho.” 

“So you're Candy Cho.”

“Nope! My mother remarried. I'm Candy Kim.” 

Baekhyun repeated it, liking the way it felt on his tongue. 

“And my grandmother’s name was Honey.” 

Baekhyun laughed in disbelief. “Anyone else?”

“My little sisters, Cherry and Cookie.” 

“Did your mother eat lots of candy when she was pregnant with you?”

“Lots. And fuzzy golden peaches.” She pointed to the skateboard tucked under Baekhyun’s arm. “Can I?”

“Sure.”

Candy admitted it was her first time on a skateboard. Baekhyun held her elbow gently. 

“Can I treat you to a late lunch?” he asked.

Candy shook her head. “I'll treat you. Come to my house.” And then she linked her arm through his. They looked like a picture, gazing into each other's eyes beneath the sun. 

They took the train. Candy stretched out on the seats, her feet dangling over the armrest. Baekhyun sat by the window, his eyes filling with the scenery: wheat and lilac fields flew gently past. The clouds above were snow white cotton candy. The two of them didn’t talk much on the train ride, but the silence was comfortable. 

Baekhyun drifted off to sleep, his head resting on the window. Candy’s eyes were fixed on him so intently that she was almost sure he would wake up. But no, he remained asleep. She crept over to his side and moved a lock of hair from his eyes. 

“My sleeping prince,” she whispered in his ear. A little smile lifted at the corner of his mouth. 

🍬 

Candy led him through a peach orchard. She was weaving through the trees, plucking peaches off them, tossing them in the air and to Baekhyun. He fumbled. 

Baekhyun could see the top of the house through the grove of trees. As he and Candy emerged on the other side of the orchard, he shaded his eyes from the sun and studied the house. It was painted a light green, the windows, shutters, and wraparound porch all white, like lace on a dress. The sunlight glimmered on a large picture window on the top floor. 

“You live here?” he asked Candy. She nodded.

“And your family owns the orchard?”

“That belongs to the earth. We just tend it.”

“My great grandfather built this house,” she continued. “He didn’t like living in the city; too crowded and noisy. He wanted a place as far away from the roads as possible.”

“A hidden fortress,” Baekhyun said.

“Sleeping Beauty’s castle behind an orchard.”

They walked up to the house. Inside it was dark, where patches of sunlight pooled on the gleaming oak floors.

“No one home,” Candy remarked.

“Didn’t you plan it this way?” Baekhyun teased. He was pleased to see her blush. 

“Have you ever had peach cobbler?” she asked. 

“Is that like pie?”

“A bit. We’ll have some with ice cream.”

“For lunch?”

“After lunch. I’ll make some noodles and chicken!”

The kitchen was large and white, light bouncing off the surfaces. There was another picture window over the sink, partly hidden by a potted plant hanging above, with tendrils unspooling downward. 

“This is the prettiest house I’ve ever been in.”

“My mother would be proud.”

Lunch was served in two red and blue bowls. Candy ate with gusto, slurping the noodles and chomping the chicken loudly. Baekhyun had noticed that she moved with ease. Even now there wasn’t a trace of self consciousness. 

“Well?” she asked, after Baekhyun had finished.

He smacked his lips. “Delicious.”

“Now you just wait until you try that cobbler.”

Baekhyun asked where the bathroom was. He took the staircase two at a time. When he stepped onto the landing, his eye was drawn to the other end of the hallway. A girl in a blue dress was standing there, watching him. He raised his hand, but she walked away without a word, her face stony. Baekhyun began to follow her, curious. A door stood ajar on the landing. He pushed it further open. The girl wasn't there. The room looked like a stick of pink bubblegum. Smiling, he realized this was Candy’s room. No spying, he reminded himself. He lingered in the doorway for a few moments. 

He didn’t know that a tiny heart inscribed with the words, I would die for love, glittered on the baseboard behind her bed.

“There is someone home,” he said when he had rejoined Candy in the kitchen.

“What’s that?”

“I saw a girl upstairs. She had long black hair and was wearing a blue dress.”

“Oh, that’s Eliza, my great aunt.”

“No, she was a young girl.”

“She was fifteen when she died,” Candy said nonchalantly.

Baekhyun just stared. “What?”

Candy nodded. “It was very tragic. She’d been playing hide and seek with the other kids. And she fell down the stairs.”

“You mean - the g-girl upstairs is d-dead?”

“Ghosts don’t hurt us Baekhyun.”

His eyes were wide with fear. “Well you’ve got to admit, it’s a little-!”

“I know,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Let's go someplace where there are no ghosts.”

He nodded, but his eyes were far away. 

“I'm sorry Baekhyun,” Candy said softly when they were on the train. “I should have warned you about Eliza. Or not said anything at all.”

“No, it's okay. I've just never seen a ghost before.”

Candy nodded. “Eliza was in love with a boy. They were going to marry each other. I think she haunts our house because she doesn’t know where he is. She has no other place to go.”

“Poor Eliza. But it’s very romantic, no? Love going on after death.”

“That’s the only kind that matters.”

“I think so too.” 

Their precious silence returned once more. She laid her head on his shoulder. 

I like you Baekhyun, she wanted to say. She thought maybe he could read her thoughts, so focused she was. Maybe if she pressed her forehead to his, her thoughts would transmit to him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You of course. Only you.” 

🍬 

Night was falling as they stepped off the train. They walked arm in arm to the arcade. The neon lights were spilling all over the sidewalk, and blinking down on them like colored stars. The thrum of music and bodies pushed up against them. The night was heavy with purple vibrations. Somehow he and Candy got separated, but Baekhyun wasn't worried. They would find their way back to each other eventually. He saw faces he recognized. They called to him, clapped him on the shoulder. 

“There's someone you've got to meet,” Kaspar told him, shouting over the noise. “She's very pretty.”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I came here with a pretty girl.”

“No kidding?” Kaspar craned his neck. “Where is she?”

Baekhyun motioned vaguely around. “Somewhere. We got lost.”

“She's not a ghost, is she?”

Baekhyun smiled and shook his head. 

“I hope I get to meet your mystery girl.” Kaspar raised his hand in midair and was swallowed up by the crowd. 

Baekhyun cut a path through easily with his board. He bought ice cream (two cones each), and a heart shaped key ring with little rhinestone sprinkles on it. Gifts for Candy. There was a girl tossing her hair over her shoulder. Another one was laughing. He strained his eyes against the bright lights, looking for her. Kaspar’s words echoed in his ears. “She's not a ghost, is she?” No, she was real, and warm. 

“Got me feeling like pop rocks, strawberry, bubblegum,” he shouted, which of course no one could hear. His head was beginning to spin like a whirling dervish. Didn't she appear the last time he'd said her name? “Candy! CANDY!” A few people nearby gave him weird looks and laughed nervously but he didn't pay attention to them. She was at one of those claw machine games, the blue light illuminating her whole body. Was that possible? She seemed to be glowing apart from everything else. Everything surrounding them blurred into shapes and colors. He seemed to be moving in slow motion towards her. He didn't say anything. She turned, her lips parted in a smile. And he kissed her right there. A burst of flavors shot forth.


End file.
